Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for OSP Engineer

💰 $70,000 - $140,000

TelecommunicationsEngineeringNetwork InfrastructureOutside Plant (OSP)

🎯 Role Definition

The OSP (Outside Plant) Engineer is responsible for planning, designing, and delivering outside plant telecommunications infrastructure, with a primary focus on fiber optic and hybrid copper/fiber networks. This role includes end-to-end OSP design (aerial and underground), construction support, permitting and make-ready coordination, cost estimating and budget control, and validation of as-built documentation. The OSP Engineer partners with project managers, construction crews, utility companies, municipalities, and stakeholders to ensure safe, compliant, and efficient deployment of network assets that meet performance, schedule, and budget targets.

Core SEO and keyword highlights: OSP Engineer, Outside Plant Design, fiber optic network design, aerial and underground plant, make-ready, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Esri ArcGIS, OTDR testing, splice documentation, construction oversight, FTTx, backbone and distribution networks.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior or Associate Telecom Engineer (OSP)
  • CAD/GIS Technician with telecom exposure
  • Construction Project Coordinator in utilities or cable plant

Advancement To:

  • Senior OSP Engineer / Lead OSP Designer
  • OSP Project Manager or Program Manager
  • Network Design Manager or Director of Outside Plant Engineering

Lateral Moves:

  • Fiber Construction Manager
  • Permitting & Right-of-Way Specialist
  • Field Operations Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead the full lifecycle OSP design for fiber optic backbone, distribution, and FTTx builds, producing detailed aerial and underground design packages that include pole loading, conduit layouts, vault placements, splice points, and handhole designs.
  • Prepare and review detailed engineering drawings using AutoCAD, MicroStation, or Civil 3D, ensuring compliance with company standards, municipal codes, and industry best practices.
  • Create and maintain GIS and mapping deliverables (Esri ArcGIS or equivalent), converting CAD designs into geospatial datasets, ensuring accurate attribute population for asset management and operational systems.
  • Perform make-ready engineering assessments for aerial strand and conduit installations, coordinating pole surveys, pole attachments, pole loading analysis, and utility owner agreements to secure attachment approvals.
  • Develop construction-level Bill of Materials (BOM), material take-offs, cabling schedules, and cost estimates to support procurement and budgeting for OSP projects.
  • Manage permitting and right-of-way coordination with cities, counties, state DOTs, railroad authorities, and private stakeholders; prepare permit packages and respond to municipal engineering review comments.
  • Conduct engineering feasibility studies and route planning, including route selection, cost/benefit analysis, and identification of environmental, permitting, or physical constraints.
  • Provide construction support and technical oversight during build-out activities, performing daily or weekly inspections, clarifying design intent, and resolving field RFIs and change orders.
  • Specify fiber types, cable construction, splice point locations, splitter placement, pull box/vault specifications, and test requirements consistent with network performance objectives.
  • Oversee acceptance testing and commissioning activities, including OTDR testing, fusion splice validation, loss budget verification, end-to-end testing, and documentation of test results.
  • Prepare and validate as-built documentation and record drawings after construction, ensuring GIS updates and final deliverables accurately reflect installed plant and splice mappings.
  • Develop and maintain engineering standards, detail sheets, and standard operating procedures for OSP design, construction, and testing to improve consistency and reduce rework.
  • Analyze existing plant condition for rebuilds, upgrades, or remediation, producing remediation design packages and recommending replacement strategies to improve reliability and capacity.
  • Coordinate with Transmission, Access, and Core network teams to ensure OSP designs meet optical budget, latency, and redundancy requirements for service-level agreements.
  • Manage vendor and contractor technical relationships, reviewing contractor design submissions, overseeing contractor QA/QC, and negotiating scope and technical deliverables.
  • Perform pole load calculations and structural analysis for attachments and new pole installations to maintain safety and compliance with NESC and utility owner requirements.
  • Deliver schedule and budget status updates to project stakeholders, proactively identifying risks, mitigation strategies, and opportunities to reduce cost and accelerate deployment.
  • Design splice schematics, fiber slack management, and patch panel layouts to optimize operability and future expansion while minimizing points of failure.
  • Implement safety and environmental compliance measures in designs and construction plans, including traffic control, erosion control, and trenching safety per OSHA and local regulations.
  • Support network capacity planning and future-proofing initiatives by specifying scalable designs for additional fibers, conduits, microducts, and space reservations for future services.
  • Review and approve as-built test reports, splicing records, and material traceability documents prior to project closeout and invoicing.
  • Train and mentor junior engineers, CAD/GIS technicians, and field crews on OSP design principles, construction best practices, and testing protocols.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Assist procurement with technical specifications for OSP materials to ensure accurate RFPs and vendor comparisons.
  • Participate in cross-functional problem-solving workshops for outage mitigation and resiliency planning.
  • Provide technical input to customer proposals and pre-sales engineering for fiber services and dark fiber offerings.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by suggesting design automation, template updates, and GIS integration enhancements.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • OSP design for fiber optic networks (aerial and underground) — route planning, pole attachments, conduit layout, vault and handhole design.
  • Proficient in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, MicroStation, or equivalent CAD platforms for creating construction-ready drawings.
  • Strong GIS skills with Esri ArcGIS, ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro or QGIS to maintain spatial asset inventories and integrate with OMS/OSS systems.
  • Practical experience with fiber testing equipment and procedures: OTDR testing, power meter/light source, insertion loss, and fusion splicing verification.
  • Pole loading analysis and application of NESC/utility attachment standards, including use of pole loading software or structural calculation tools.
  • Make-ready engineering and utility coordination — preparing pole attachment forms, engineering diagrams, and coordinating with third parties for attachments.
  • Knowledge of permitting processes and experience preparing permit packages for municipalities, DOTs, and railroad crossings.
  • BOM preparation, material take-offs, cost estimating, and familiarity with procurement workflows for OSP materials.
  • Understanding of FTTx architectures (GPON, XGS-PON), backbone vs. distribution design, and splitter placement strategies.
  • Familiarity with HDD (horizontal directional drilling), microtrenching, trenching standards, and underground construction techniques.
  • As-built documentation, splice maps, and CAD-to-GIS conversion best practices for lifecycle asset management.
  • Experience with project management tools and methods (MS Project, Primavera, or Agile tooling) for schedule and resource tracking.
  • Knowledge of safety and regulatory compliance (OSHA, DOT, environmental permitting) applicable to outside plant construction.
  • Ability to use network design and optical budget calculation tools and to validate design against latency and loss targets.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent stakeholder communication and negotiation skills for liaison with municipalities, utilities, contractors, and internal teams.
  • Strong problem-solving and analytical skills to assess field conditions and produce practical engineering solutions.
  • Time management and prioritization to manage multiple projects and tight deployment schedules.
  • Attention to detail for accurate design drawings, material lists, and testing documentation.
  • Team leadership and mentoring capability to grow junior staff and improve team deliverables.
  • Customer-focus mindset with ability to translate technical design into business impact and service-level outcomes.
  • Adaptability to changing project requirements and rapid field feedback during construction.
  • Proactive risk identification and mitigation planning to minimize project delays and cost overruns.
  • Collaborative approach to work effectively across engineering, procurement, construction, and operations.
  • Clear technical writing skills to produce specifications, permit narratives, and executive status updates.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, or related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s in Electrical or Civil Engineering with telecom specialization; Master’s or relevant postgraduate certificate is a plus.
  • Industry certifications such as RCDD (BICSI), PMP, or fiber-specific training/certifications (e.g., OTDR certification).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Telecommunications / Network Engineering
  • Construction or Project Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–10+ years in OSP engineering, fiber optic network design, or outside plant construction.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of direct OSP design and construction support experience on fiber projects (backbone, distribution, FTTx).
  • Proven track record working with CAD/GIS tools, permitting, make-ready, OTDR testing, and contractor management.
  • Experience with municipal, state, and utility permitting processes and multi-stakeholder coordination on complex builds.
  • Demonstrated experience producing and validating as-built documentation and GIS asset inventories.
Explore More Careers